Max's most recommended

Our Bordeaux Director, Max Lalondrelle, has scoured our current Claret stock to highlight a handful of hidden gems. From overlooked vintages now coming into their own, to unsung properties or ex chateaux bottles – his list is well worth exploring.

A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, it shows well on the nose and mouth, with plump black fruits, roasting coffee, and the musk of a deep rich dark chocolate. It has a firm tannic backbone but one that isn’t overpowering and boisterous, but rather gregarious and playful. The finish is long and enhanced by the vintage’s acidity. 2014 is the first vintage of Margaux de Brane, and it has definitely shown that it can match other offerings with its finesse, structure and delightfully smooth mouthfeel. Delightful with red meat, game, and my personal favourite, with some hard cheese!Tariq Khan - Wine Advisor

One of the two finest estates of Moulis (the other being Poujeaux), Chasse Spleen's large vineyard is planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. The ripe, generous 2001 is a chunky, fleshy, deep ruby/purple-colored effort revealing good body, moderate tannin, and an earthy, black currant fruitiness offering notions of minerals and tree bark. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring to shed its substantial tannin, and drink it over the following decade.Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

The Bartons never make a bad wine; they always offer outstanding value and also have a knack of producing gorgeous wines in slightly off vintages. This may make life a tad predictable but it certainly explains why Langoa-Barton rightly flies out the door year in, year out. Made from almost 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, their 2007 is a particularly good edition with lovely pure plums and damsons on the nose and surprisingly refined, fresh, creamy raspberries and cassis on the palate. There is surprising weight, grip and focus although a fleshy structure will ensure highly pleasurable early drinking.

Langoa-Barton is always one of the first names on our buying list for any new Bordeaux vintage. The consistently sensible pricing and excellent quality from Anthony Barton and his daughter Lillian make it one of the must-haves in Bordeaux. Their 2006 is more masculine than usual, with bags of restrained dark fruit combined with firm tannins, a powerful structure, and a lively mineral-laden finish. This will definitely be a Langoa for the long term.Simon Staples, BBR Fine Wine Director, June 2007

Unlike Right Bank Bordeaux properties, special cuveés are a rare phenomenon in the Médoc. There is nothing that compares to this very fine, limited-production cuvée from Ch. Sociando-Mallet – Cuvée Jean Gautreau. Jean Gautreau purchased Ch. Sociando-Mallet in 1969 and turned it into one of the most popular Cru Bourgeois on the market today.

For his limited-production cuvée, proprietor Jean Gautreau selects the 15 best barrels from the vintage and uses a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon than usual in the blend (approximately 80 percent). The 2004 has an opulent cassis and blackberry nose, with deeper, savoury and currant notes emerging on the palate – all balanced by a refreshing cedar lift on the finish.

Potensac's 2005 is a firm, gutsy wine with elegant but very firm tannins and intense earthy flavours. The pure cassis and blackberry nose gives it considerable class, while the extra intensity and structure in 2005 makes it really rather good. Reminiscent of a top St Estèphe, this is classic Claret at a great price.

Chx Rauzan-Ségla and Mouton Rothschild were considered the leading Second Growth Bordeaux properties during the 19th century; however, while the fortunes of Mouton prospered in the 20th century, Rauzan-Ségla`s reputation dwindled and a succession of disappointing wines were produced. In the early 1980s the property was sold and the renaissance began. Now with the might and wealth of Chanel behind this château (since April 1994), the wines here have gone from strength to strength. Rauzan-Ségla is once again worthy of its Second Growth status.

The 2001 vintage is dense with a concentrated cassis nose, supported by graceful fruit and ripe tannins. Despite its power this has real class, showing elegance, restraint and subtlety. This has all the majesty of great Margaux.

Potensac is an estate in the northern sector of the Médoc, a district renowned for producing tannic, brooding Clarets which require significant ageing before drinking. It belongs to the Delon family, who also own the great Ch. Léoville-Las Cases, and benefits from being made by the same highly skilled team.

The result is a wine of great complexity, one of the very best in the appellation. The 2004 is rich in blackcurrant aromas, with plenty of tannin. It would partner sweet meat such as lamb, as well as hard cheeses such as Gruyère.

From the bottle, it has an attractive bouquet with plush blackberry and wild strawberry fruit, indeed, showing more fruité than I was expecting. There is a roundness to these aromatics, perhaps a little more like 1985 in some ways. The palate is medium-bodied and here the seriousness and structure of the 1986 vintages shows through. There is impressive body and though it felt firm and masculine on the finish, there is clearly sufficient fruit that counterbalances the backbone. The decanted version showed a little more volatility on the nose, but here I discerned more complexity on the palate. The 1986 Ducru poured directly from bottle felt a little more savory and strangely, more cohesive, with more of the terroir coming through on the slightly loamy, brown sugar-tinged finish. Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate - Dec 2016